One Week
by Niblet3
Summary: [Post PotC: DMC] Elizabeth has been poisoned by Barbossa, and he will not give Jack the antidote until Jack gets him what he wants. Jack has one week, or Elizabeth will die. [JackElizabeth, if you don't like the pairing, don't read.] CHAPTER 20 UP!
1. Poisoned

**Title:** One Week  
**Author:** Niblet3  
**Fandom:** Pirates of the Caribbean  
**Ships:** Jack/Elizabeth  
**Summary:** Barbossa wants something and wants Jack to get it for him. In case he had any complaints, he is using something very important to the Captain against him.  
**Disclaimer:** Nope. I don't own them.   
**Rating:** T  
**Notes:** It may take me a while to finish this, considering I just started my senior year. But, I will get around to it sometime.

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It was the early morning of the first day of the third month, the day Jack was scheduled to pay up. It had been four months since Barbossa and the rest had rescued Jack from the ends of the earth, four months since Will Turner had destroyed Davy Jones, and four months since Elizabeth had realized that she was in love with Jack and decided to stay with him on his resurrected Pearl. Barbossa decided to take advantage of Jack, and before releasing him from his prison under the reign of the evil Sao Feng he made him promise to pay him back with 1,000 pounds in gold. Of course, at the time, Jack had agreed to get himself out of his current situation, but never actually planned on paying up. Barbossa had been reminding him by way of letters which would always wind up finding him, but Jack had always ignored them. At the moment, paying Barbossa was the last thing on his mind. He looked down and kissed the forehead of the sleeping woman in his arms. She smiled, and snuggled deeper into him.

"Are you all right, Jack?" She asked, sleepily, pulling herself up and nestling her face in his neck.

"Of course, love," He said, smiling at her constant concern for him.

"What... time is it?" She asked, shifting again.

"It's early... shh, love, go back to sleep," He whispered, wrapping his arms around her tighter. She sat up, pulling away slightly and looking at him with a lazy smile. He returned it, tracing circles in the bare skin of her back. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder, and she took the chance to kiss the back of his neck when he was bent over. They pulled apart and Elizabeth began to get out of bed. Jack looked at her retreating back, the covers wrapped around her, confused.

"What are you doing, Lizzie?" Jack asked, pressingly.

"I want to go outside and look at the ocean," She said, walking over with little steps to retrieve one of his shirts and a pair of his pants, quickly pulling them on. He closed his eyes in a moment of annoyance, and reached out for her.

"Liz, you can do that anytime. Anytime! We're going to be out at sea for months, love, at the least," He said, trying to grab onto her as she walked by. She narrowly escaped his grasp, a light giggle coming out of her.

"I want to see it in the early morning, you know how hard it is to get me up this early," She said, smiling slightly at him.

"Yes, and I'm sorry I contributed to it this time around. Fine, do what you like, just come in here when you're... finished," He said, waving his hands around and plopping himself back down on the pillows. Elizabeth tip toed over to him and laid a tiny kiss on his lips.

"You should come and join me," She whispered and then quickly walked out the door, leaving Jack waiting and wishing for more.

More than a few moments passed, and Jack had finally decided to take Elizabeth up on her offer. He was lazily pulling on a pair of pants, when he heard Elizabeth lightly saying his name right outside the door. He stopped for a moment, listening intently, not sure if he was hearing things. She said his name a little louder, and he was sure now he wasn't hallucinating.

"Liz, what are you doing?" Jack asked through the door. "Come back in here, you keep gaining volume you're gonna wake the crew," He said. She didn't respond, and after a moment he heard another whimper of his name. As soon as he heard the distressed tone of her voice he pushed the door open aggressively, revealing Barbossa holding Elizabeth, a knife pressed to her throat. Jack immediately rushed forward.

"Ah ah ah!" Barbossa exclaimed, pressing the knife tighter to her throat, causing her to cry out slightly. Jack sucked in a breath, putting his hands up.

"Don't hurt her, Barbossa," Jack said, warningly.

"You should have paid up by now, Jack," Barbossa said, stressing his name. "Do you have the gold?" Jack looked down, sighing.

"No, but I can-"

"That's it, Jack. This was the deadline and you didn't meet it," Barbossa said. Elizabeth's eyes were wide with fear, and Jack was breathing heavily, worried immensely for her well being.

"I can find it, Barbossa, I can," Jack said, determined.

"No, I've got a different deal for you, Jack. Since you have decided to take over being Captain of my ship, I'd like a ship of my own. One from the English fleet, specifically. One as big as the other ship you were on before, last time I saw you when I was Captain of this here Pearl. Then, I want you to bring it to the Isle de Cruces, where I'll be waiting. Do we have a deal this time, Jack?" He asked. Jack looked down, thinking about how he was going to do this without getting caught. He then looked up, and saw Barbossa grab onto Elizabeth's hand, backing up a few steps. He removed the knife from her neck for a moment, and cut a large gash in her hand. Elizabeth cried out and Jack winced. Barbossa took out a vile and emptied its contents into the gash in Elizabeth's hand, burning her. He then replaced the knife at her throat.

"What are you doing?" Jack yelled. Barbossa then closed her hand tightly, holding it shut with his own.

"Giving you a bit of incentive. I've just emptied a foreign poison into dear Elizabeth's wound here. At the moment, it is surging its way through her veins, slowly infecting her. If you do not get the antidote, she'll be dead within a week." Jack was horror stricken, his eyes opened to their full extent, his hands coming up to grip his head.

"And how am I going to find the antidote?" Jack yelled, panicked.

"Why, I have it, of course. All you have to do is get my ship and get there in time, and everything will be just fine," He said, smiling. "If you come without the ship, I will not give you the antidote, and she will die. Is this clear?" There was silence as Jack took this all in. "Is this clear, Jack?" Jack looked up, returning to the moment, and nodded his head vigorously. Only now was he noticing the small boat next to the Pearl. "If you fire on me while I'm leaving, you will never get the antidote, and she will die," Barbossa said, smirking. "One week, Jack." He then released Elizabeth and shoved her into Jack's arms, taking his leave. Jack quickly took her face in his hands, looking her over. He looked down and picked up her hand softly and opened her fingers, looking at the gash. It was bleeding, and turning a strange green color. Elizabeth gasped, horrified.

"Oh... my god..." She whimpered, leaning her head down on Jack's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, completely shocked at everything that had just taken place. Blood from the cut on her neck was dripping down onto the deck. Mr. Gibbs rushed up from below deck.

"What 'appened, Captain? We thought we 'eard yellin'!" He drawled, some of the crew members appearing behind him. Jack pulled Elizabeth to him tighter, and looked up at Mr. Gibbs.

"Gibbs, get to the wheel and head for Port Royal," He said, and looked down at the blood on the floor. "With great haste, Mr. Gibbs," He said, guiding a shaking Elizabeth into the cabin.


	2. Processing

Jack and Elizabeth were sitting on the bed together in the cabin, and he was delicately wrapping a cloth around the gash in her hand, which looked like it was eating away at her palm. Jack was muttering to himself.

"I bet he's just calling us out... trying to worry me... get me to work faster... show him..." He mumbled, not thinking Elizabeth was listening. She wasn't making any remarks. She was just staring off into the distance, looking like she was resigned to die already. He finished wrapping up her wound, and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her fingertips. He then started dabbing at the cut on her neck, wiping the blood away. He sat down the cloth on the bed, and sighed, and looked over at her. Seeing the grave expression on her face, he ran his finger along her jaw line, pulling her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing. He kissed her forehead, holding her to him.

"How are you, my Lizzie?" He asked.

She didn't want to talk of such things. "How are you going to do this, Jack?" She whispered. "You'll never make it in time."

"Of course I will, Elizabeth. I have to... and I will," He said, dead set on doing so. "Savvy?" He asked, resting his head on hers, trying to get her to smile. She did, but only slightly. She nodded her head. Despite how worried she was about this entire situation, she had faith in Jack. A light knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," Jack called. Mr. Gibbs came through the doorway.

"Eh... Captain... why, exactly, are we heading to Port Royal?" He asked.

"There are some very important matters I need to tend to, Mr. Gibbs. Don't fret; I'll fill you in on the entire situation when I am ready to do so. But, until then, follow my orders and we'll all get along just fine."

"Is Ms. Elizabeth alright?" He asked, looking at her worriedly. Jack pulled her closer to him.

"I'll tell you more about that, too, Mr. Gibbs. Now... go!" Jack said, motioning for Gibbs to leave the cabin. He nodded his head, clearing his throat, and quickly walked out of the door, shutting it loudly behind him.

"You're going to have to tell them, Jack," Elizabeth said. "You're going to need them to help you with this other ship," She whispered, lowering her tone.

"I will explain it to them... I just need to process it all myself first, ya hear? I gotta get it together in my own head. I can't believe this is happening," He said, shaking his head. He then looked down at her, and her blank expression. She couldn't believe it either. "But don't worry about it, my love. I'll get us through this," He said, kissing the tip of her nose. "I wish it wouldn't take so long to sail to Port Royal," Jack muttered. "We have to make it there in a day in a half, at least. Then we'll need to backtrack to the Isle de Cruces. Bloody hell, he must have planned this whole trip out. We have just enough time," He said, but then thought of her again. "But, I know we'll get there faster than expected, considering Jack Sparrow is the Captain of this here ship," He said, smiling.

"Let's not talk of it anymore, Jack," She said, clearing her throat. She looked down at her hand, which seemed to be shaking violently without her consent. "My hand feels like it's burning..." She whispered, hissing. He told hold of it, lightly pulling back the cloth and blowing on the wound. She sighed, and after a moment he stopped.

"I'm gonna get you out of this, Lizzie, darling," He said, tipping up her chin and leaning in to press his lips to hers, but she put her head down.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't want you to kiss me... I don't want to transmit any sickness I might have," She said, sadly. He raised her face up again, and pressed his lips to hers, unafraid. She smiled into the kiss. She felt safe in his arms. He wrapped himself up in her and they fell back onto the bed and he held her until she fell asleep.


	3. DAY ONE

The next morning Jack woke up, and the first day in their journey to save Elizabeth's life had begun. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, and noticed Elizabeth was sitting on the end of the bed, her hands gripping the covers beside her. She was taking short, gasping breaths. Noticing this, he sat up quickly, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and sitting next to her, placing his hand on her back.

"What's wrong?" He said worriedly.

"I can't... I can't... breath," She said, gasping harshly. Jack looked around, not knowing what to do. He quickly got behind her, and pulled her between his legs. He wrapped one arm around her and placed his hand on her stomach, and wrapped the other around her shoulders, placing his hand right below her collar bone. He pressed his chest to her back and breathed in, bringing her with him.

"Alright love, feel how I'm breathing. Do it with me now," He said, letting out the breath. She continued gasping, but it was obvious she was trying. He breathed in and out, each time bringing her back with him.

"Come on now, Lizzie. Breath," He whispered into her ear. He breathed in again, and finally she got the hang of it, taking in a big, deep breath. She let it out slowly as he did, a slight gasp cutting it in the middle. A few more moments of this and her breathing was back to normal. She rested her head on his shoulder and turned into his neck, sighing heavily.

"You alright now, darling?" He asked, reaching up and brushing the hair away from her face.

"I think so," She said, sucking in a few extra breaths just in case. "Don't worry about me, Jack. We'll just let this fold out as it's going to," She said, sighing again.

"We're going to get this over and done with as quickly as possible," Jack said, kissing her temple. A moment passed, as they both contemplated what exactly was going on. Jack tried to push these thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't even think of what would happen if he didn't make it to Barbossa before this week was over. It would be a situation where he would be completely and utterly... helpless. Elizabeth already felt helpless, and she was beginning to feel the effects of the poison. She trusted Jack would get there in time, but there was that little voice at the back of her mind asking her... what if? As long as she died in Jack's arms, just as she was right now, she thought she'd be alright with it. Hopefully it'd be quick. She shook her head.

"Can we go outside, Jack? I feel a bit hot in here," She said, looking up at him. He smiled slightly.

"All right, love," He said, standing up and pulling her with him. He kept a protective arm around her waist as they walked out onto the deck. All the crew were there and they greeted the Captain and his love happily.

"Captain! I think we'll arrive at Port Royal in the very early morning, at the earliest," Gibbs said, rushing over.

"Are you sure we can't get there any earlier, Gibbs?" Jack acted, looking strained.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Gibbs said, shaking his head. "Do you think I could... have that explanation now?" Gibbs said, looking a bit worried about asking. Jack looked over at Elizabeth, a tense look on his face. She smiled sadly, and nodded her head. He walked away with her for a second, over towards the railing. He got in close to her face, suddenly serious.

"If you need anything, anything at all, love, you scream for me and I'll come immediately, savvy?" He said. She nodded her head. He quickly kissed her cheek and walked off with Gibbs. Elizabeth turned towards the sea, the wind blowing in her hair. A few moments later, Jack returned, and Elizabeth heard him say "Tell the rest" to Gibbs as he made his way over to her. She turned around, and saw Gibbs looking at her sympathetically. She smiled slightly at him. Jack walked over and took her hands in his.

"He knows. As of now, he'll be the one to Captain the new ship until it gets delivered," He said. She sighed, a tingling sensation taking over her entire body. She felt sick. And she was scared.


	4. What's Going To Happen?

"Jack?" She asked. "What's... what's..."

"What's what?" He asked sweetly, running a gentle hand up and down her arm.

"What's going to... happen... to me?" She asked, barely capable of getting the words out of her mouth. Jack pursed his lips, and looked away from her. She sighed, a wave of dizziness coming over her. She stepped forward somewhat and ran into him softly, laying her cheek on his chest, closing her eyes and waiting for an answer.

"I don't... know, love. He said it was a foreign poison and all..." Jack trailed off.

"What do you think will happen?" She asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Liz," He said, shifting and draping an arm across her shoulders.

"I want to know what to expect, Jack," She said, in a small voice. He nodded his head, and sighed a sigh full of grief. He didn't want to think about it, let alone say it out loud.

"More of that breathing thing, I expect... Retching, convulsions, moments of delirium," He said, taking a moment to catch his breath, "Severe headaches... I've heard about drowning from the inside out," He said, and she swallowed, reaching up and rubbing her forehead. "It'll start to shut down your system after a while. Is this what you want to hear, Liz?" He asked, pulling away and looking at her unhappily.

"You know I don't want to hear about it, Jack, I just... I need to know. I need to be prepared," She said, tears glistening in her eyes. He immediately regretted any type of anger he might have heard in his voice. She was the one going through this, not him. He needed to treat her as gently as he could. He nodded his head, and stepped forward a few steps and wrapped his arms around her again, sucking in a wavering breath.

"I know, my love, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that tone," He said, hugging her. He held her tight, not knowing what his life could be without her. He would never be able to forgive himself if he couldn't save her. It would never cease to haunt him. He was scared out of his wits by the uncertainty of it all. He had to do this. He had to save her. He pulled away after a moment to look in her eyes. They looked cloudy.

"I just... I can't think of all that happening to you, Lizabeth. This is all my fault," He said, looking down.

"Don't... blame it on your... yourself," She said, short of breath.

"You want to go lay down, love?" He asked. She had her head bowed, and he bent down slightly so he could look into her eyes

"You read my mind," She said, sounding exasperated. He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her over to the cabin. They stopped immediately in front of the door, Elizabeth putting her hand out on Jack's chest to stop him. He looked down at her, and she was once again gasping for breath. She laughed slightly.

"If this is... the first day... I can't wait for the... last..." She said as her knees collapsed. Jack caught her quickly, scooping her up in his arms as Gibbs quickly ran over and pushed open the cabin door. Jack rushed inside and laid her down on the bed tenderly. He reached back and pulled a chair up next to the bed. She hasn't lost consciousness.

"I know... you're gonna save me. I have faith... in you, Jack," She said, reaching up and running her fingers down his cheek. Her face then fell to the side, a great deal paler. She was breathing heavily as she closed her eyes. He was scared. Looking down into her face, and knowing this was going to get worse, he was very scared. He had to save her. He had to.


	5. Feelings

"How far are we from Port Royal?" Jack asked Gibbs, a few hours later.

"It still looks like we'll be arriving there right before sunrise," He said, keeping the wheel steady. "Do you know how we're going to do this, Jack?" Gibbs asked, looking over at his comrade.

"Leave it to me, Mr. Gibbs. I'm going to get this done, no matter what. For her," He said, sighing and looking down, worry coming over his face.

"You love her, don't you Captain?" Gibbs asked. Jack didn't answer. Gibbs smiled to himself, and directed his glance back to the sea. Jack twiddled his fingers for a second, and then took a few steps away from Gibbs, moving his jaw back and forth. Jack's mind was elsewhere. He wished he at least knew what this poison was.

"I'm going back into the cabin to check on her. Call me when Port Royal comes into view," Jack said, reaching out and slapping Gibbs on the shoulder. He then made his way down the stairs a little faster than usual, and back to Elizabeth. When he reached the cabin he opened the door slowly, trying not to make too much noise in case she was sleeping. He looked inside and saw her staring back at him, laid out on the bed. He smiled, caught slightly off guard, and stepped inside, walking over to the bed and sitting in the chair next to it, placing his hand at the back of her neck and massaging it gently, smiling sweetly at her.

"How are you, darling?" He whispered, his tone soft and caring. She smiled a bit, although she seemed too tired to do so.

"Drained..." She whispered, her voice sounding strained.

"Just take it easy, Lizzie. Stay in here and rest. I'll stay by you as long as I can," He said, lowering his face to the level of hers.

"How are you going to commandeer a ship from the fleet, Jack? I don't want you to get arrested, they won't have any sympathy for you if you get caught..."

"Even if I tell them what's happening to you?"

"They'll think you're making it up."

"What if I bring them to you?"

"They won't let you."

He knew she was right. If they caught him, they'd write up his death warrant right there on the spot. Everyone knew Elizabeth Swann had sailed away with Jack Sparrow, and he doubted anyone had any respect left for her because of that.

"I'll just do it like I did it before," Jack said, nodding his head.

"You had Will to help you before," Elizabeth whispered.

"I can do it myself, love. I surely have the proper amount of incentive," He said, sighing. She smiled, reaching over and holding his other hand.

"You're risking your life to save mine," She said tensely.

"Damn right," Jack said immediately. She closed her eyes, her smile widening a bit. She tilted her head back, and opened her eyes to look at him. He removed his hand from her neck and replaced it on her cheek, running his thumb over her skin.

"I love you, Jack," She whispered, as if it was a sacred oath. He leaned in, his eyes traveling down to her lips, and kissed her sweetly. A moment later he pulled away, but still remained close.

"I love you, too, Elizabeth," He said, caressing her cheek. The sun set in the distance as the lovers finally put their feelings into words.


	6. DAY TWO

A few hours after that, Day Two began. Jack had fallen asleep in the chair next to the bed, his hand still holding Elizabeth's. She woke up in the morning unable to breath, and with a continuing set of coughs, that after a few minutes pulled Jack out of his slumber. He looked up and saw her pushing out hacking, painful sounding coughs, and reaching behind herself, obviously trying to find a cloth to cough into. He quickly reached over and grabbed one that was lying on the nightstand, and slid over and handed it to her. She promptly put it in front of her mouth, and kept coughing; sounding like her throat was being torn apart. She finished with one last cough, and then pulled her hand away from her mouth and let it fall to the bed as she gasped for air. Jack looked down at her hand, and saw the cloth she was holding was stained with blood. He closed his eyes, and wondered how much more of this both of them were going to be able to take. It horrified him to know that it was only going to get worse.

He was sitting and rubbing her back soothingly, asking her if she was alright, when Gibbs yelled to him from the deck.

"We're almost there, Captain! I'd say about fifteen more minutes," Gibbs yelled. Jack looked over at Elizabeth again. Her eyes were red and full of tears from all the coughing she had just done, and she was sucking in shaky breaths.

"Almost there?" She said in between breaths. He nodded his head, pursing his lips. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She laid her head down on his bare chest, sighing.

"I want you to stay in here and keep yourself safe," Jack said. She nodded her head. "Don't worry about anything you might hear, because I assure you, I will be returning shortly after I leave, with another ship in tow," He said, kissing her hair on the top of her head. She nodded again, though a slightly weaker one.

"Be careful, Jack," She whispered, nestling into him in these last few moments they had together until he returned.

"Of course, my darling," He whispered back. He then grimaced at the thought of removing himself from her, but realizing he had to he got up off of the bed, and helped her lay down, tucking the covers around her until only her head was visible. She smiled weakly. He smoothed back her hair and leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. He quickly got dressed, and when he was finished he grabbed his hat off the mantle and looked at her for a moment, holding it over his heart.

"I await the moment when I see your face again, my lady," He said elegantly. She laughed slightly, the smile remaining on her lips. He then swung his hat around and then plopped it back down on his head. He blew a kiss to her and she kissed at the air, and he pretended to kiss it. They took one last look at each other and with a nod of his head Jack left the cabin.

He stormed onto the deck, all business now. The crew was all running around, preparing for what was going to happen.

"Gibbs, come to a halt!" He yelled up to Gibbs, who promptly followed his orders. Jack walked up the stairs and over to him. "I'm going to be taking a rowboat over to the docks, I want you to stay right here and wait for me to head over with the other ship. As soon as we're close enough, you and I are going to change places, savvy?" Gibbs quickly nodded his head, and Jack nodded back. He then walked down to where the rowboats were and quickly got one untied and lowered into the water. He stepped down the ladder and got into the boat, holding onto the rope for a second.

"Gibbs!" He yelled up to him. Gibbs instantly appeared at the railing, some crew able to be seen running past behind him.

"Keep everyone in order, and most of all... protect Elizabeth," Jack yelled up at him. Gibbs nodded, and then disappeared. Jack let go of the rope and began to row towards Port Royal, already setting his sights on the ship he was going to steal. Borrow, maybe, if he decided to go through with his revenge plot on Barbossa for doing this to Elizabeth.

_The Intrepid_ shone in the light from here. Yes, Jack thought. That'd be the ship.

A few minutes later Jack tied his boat to the dock without being seen. The dock wasn't very busy today as Jack stepped onto it, looking around. Only a few ships sat around unoccupied. He turned around and saw the Pearl looming, a few miles away. No, that didn't look conspicuous at all. He sighed and then hurried off to get this done with as quickly as he could. He walked over to the Intrepid and saw there was a single man at the wheel, standing and looking around. Jack smiled, and grabbed his side, making sure the gun was still there. It was. He quickly dodged behind things until he got close enough to board the ship. The man didn't turn around.

Jack grabbed the rope that was tying the ship to the dock and swung over, quickly undoing it. He walked over to the man and pointed the gun at the back of his head. He cocked it, and the man must have heard, for he turned around. Jack was then face to face with Will Turner.


	7. Stealing the Ship

_:Thank you for reading. I'm not really sure how ships work, so kinda bear with with me during this chapter... I hope I did okay with it. Thanks again:_

"Jack?" Will asked, looking down the gun's barrel at Jack, who was pulling back and raising his eyebrows.

"Will?" Jack asked, squinting and trying to concentrate on him.

"What are you doing here?" Will asked. "And why are you pointing a gun at me?" Jack retracted the gun, smiling in apology. He put away the gun, looking down for a moment to make sure it was properly in its holster. When he looked up, a gun was pointed in his face. Jack sighed.

"Why is it that every time I do something good it always gets thrown back in my face?" Jack said, looking up at the sky. He then looked Will in the eye. "Why, young William, are you pointing a gun at me? I don't actually have time to be dealing with this right now," Jack said, looking back at the Pearl anxiously.

"Planning on stealing another ship, are you?" Will asked, shaking his head.

"Yes, but if you would let me explain myself, I would be able to tell you why," Jack said, his eyes pleading. Will could tell something was very wrong with Jack Sparrow. He pulled his gun away and held it at his side, motioning for him to go on with his story.

"Barbossa wanted some kind of... payment for rescuing me. I thought the idea of it was ridiculous, so I never actually gave him what he wanted. About a day or so ago, he shows up on the Pearl and poisons Elizabeth," Jack said, and at this Will's eyes widened. Jack frowned at the thought. "Only he has the antidote, and he's forcing me to get him a ship and bring it to him at the Isle de Cruces, where I'll be able to get the antidote. I have to do it within a week or... she's... she's going to die."

"He didn't tell you what kind of poison it was?"

"He just told me it was foreign. I'm just doing what he said because I... I need to get that antidote."

"How's Elizabeth?" Will asked. Jack just shook his head.

"Not good. Will, are you going to help me or not? Because I will let you shoot me, as long as I get away with this ship," Jack said, pointing down at the deck. "I need to bring it over to the Pearl and get back on it, and Gibbs is going to Captain this one until we reach Barbossa." Will stared at him for a moment.

"I can Captain this one," Will said abruptly. Jack turned his head to the side.

"You're going to help me?" Jack asked, his voice taking a higher pitch in his surprise.

"Of course. If it can save Elizabeth..."

"It's the only thing that can," Jack said gravely. Will turned around to the wheel and pulled the Intrepid away from the dock quickly, causing Jack to be thrown backwards slightly. Jack smiled at how easily Will had learned to handle a ship. After they were about a mile away Jack turned around and saw a number of soldiers running onto the dock and seeing what was happening. Jack ran below deck, and after a few moments Will saw cannons escaping from the Intrepid and taking out a few of their ships. Will smiled to himself, secretly admiring the way Jack worked. And what he was willing to do for Elizabeth. They got far enough away that they were beginning to feel safe. Jack ran back up onto the deck.

"How did you happen to be on this ship, Will?" Jack asked him.

"I was actually planning on stealing it for myself," Will said, holding his head high. Jack smiled as they pulled up along the Pearl, and Will slowed down a bit.

"Just follow the Pearl and we'll get there after a few days, alright?" Jack asked, and Will nodded his head. Jack smiled. "Thank you for doing this, mate," Jack said, putting his hand on Will's shoulder. Will slightly smiled back. Then, Jack ran over to the side of the ship and grabbed onto a rope, swinging over to the Pearl. He landed on the grey decks and looked around for Gibbs, who ran over to him.

"Will's over there, Gibbs, so you stay here. Have four men swing over there and help him," Jack said, and Gibbs nodded, yelling out a command. Four of the Pearl's crew came running over, and after giving a nod to Jack, swung over to the Intrepid. As soon as Jack made sure everything was in order, he sent Gibbs to the wheel and rushed towards the cabin as both ships took off towards the Isle de Cruces.


	8. Cold

He opened the door and saw her, lying with her back towards the door. She was coughing again, the movements racking her body. She stopped and sighed, already tired of all of this. He frowned, walked over and sat on the bed, putting his hand on her bare shoulder. She jumped slightly under his touch, and looked over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw it was him and turned over tensely.

"Jack!" She exclaimed, sounding like she was starting to lose her voice.

"Hello, darling," Jack said, leaning down and kissing her tenderly. He pulled away after a moment and curled a piece of her hair around his finger, smiling at her lovingly.

"How did everything go?" She said, clearing her throat after.

"Very well, actually. I had a bit of help," Jack said. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, getting her point across without wasting any words. "Dear William happened to be there. He's captaining our ship for us," He said, stroking her face absentmindedly.

"Will?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, Will. He's on the other ship right now, right behind us," Jack said, smiling. Elizabeth looked down, not exactly sure what to say about this new situation. She looked back up at him, shifting her lips to the side.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice rough.

"Of course," He said, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead multiple times. He didn't want to ask her how she was, because he already knew. He thought maybe if he didn't hear it out loud, in concrete form, it wouldn't be true. He pulled away and looked at her. She was pale, and her breathing was labored. There were rings around her eyes. Seeing it was worse, Jack thought. He had his hand resting on his arm, and he felt the goosebumps come over her when they did.

"I'm cold, Jack," She whispered, looking up at him. His face filled up with concern. He quickly took off his belt, his hat and his boots, and then slipped into bed beside her. She immediately scooted closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to him. He cupped the back of her head and rubbed her back up and down quickly, trying to warm her. She pulled her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest, letting out air through her teeth. He reached over and pulled the covers around the both of them, but more around her. He kept trying to warm her up for the next few moments, and finally he stopped when her body felt more relaxed.

"Better?" He asked. She nodded into his chest. He leant down and kissed her hairline. There was a moment of silence between them, the only thing that could be heard was Elizabeth's labored breathing. Finally, she spoke, in the most hapless and tired tone he had ever heard her use.

"This... is going to kill me... isn't it?" She asked him.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Jack said, resolutely.

"Jack..." She pleaded. He shook his head.

"No, it's not. It might get close, but I refuse to let that happen, Elizabeth. I promise you, I will pull you back from this. I will not lose you," He said, holding her tighter. After a moment, she nodded her head again, not having the strength to fight him. A few hours passed as they lay there, holding each other. Soon, they fell asleep.


	9. DAY THREE

Jack woke up and day three began. He reached out and realized that Elizabeth was no longer in his arms. He sat up quickly, his eyes snapping open and looking around promptly. She was no where to be seen. He stumbled out of bed and ran into the cabin door, pushing it open. He got onto the deck and looked up, seeing Gibbs practically falling asleep at the wheel. Then, he looked to his left when he heard a noise. Elizabeth was gripping the railing of the Pearl and throwing up into the ocean. She looked like she could barely keep herself up. He sprinted over to her and caught her around the waist before she fell to the ground, taken over by a fit of coughs. He helped her slide gently to the ground as she reached up and put the back of her hand over her eyes, distraught. She was once again gasping for breath.

She reached up over her head angrily and grabbed onto the railing, trying to pull herself up. She got onto her legs and as soon as the weight of her body came up her legs collapsed, and she fell to the ground before Jack could catch her. She hit her head on the wall of the Pearl on the way down, yelling out in pain and awaking Mr. Gibbs. He started to run towards the couple, but Jack held out a hand to stop him, his attention remaining on Elizabeth. Jack reached down and grabbed her underneath her arms, supporting her as he pulled her to her feet.

"No... oh, Jack..." She wailed, coughing painfully.

"What is it, Elizabeth?" Jack asked urgently, holding her tightly.

"I can't stop being able to walk... Jack... I can't. I can't lose control of myself... this is taking me over, Jack..." She said, trailing off and wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. He stopped for a moment, his heart breaking for her. She was too weak to walk; her legs were collapsing under her. He thought of how much she loved to be on the Pearl, to walk her decks, to lean on the railing and feel the wind on her face. His heart broke for her. He hugged her tightly, holding her to him. He then put a hand underneath her knees, lifting her off the ground and into his arms. He couldn't let her fall again. He couldn't let her feel that defeat again.

"It'll be over soon, darling," He whispered to her. "It'll be over soon."

A few minutes later he had carried her into the cabin and laid her on the bed, putting a pillow behind her head. She looked upset, and stared off into the distance, holding one hand in the other on top of her stomach. Jack sat down next to her, reaching down and pushing her hair away from her face. She averted her eyes.

"Are you angry with me, love?" Jack asked her. She shook her head, closing her eyes.

"Of course not," She said, her voice hoarse.

"Look at me, Liz," Jack said. She did so. "We only have a few more days. It'll be over in a few days. We might even get there early. I know it hurts now, love, but it's all gonna go away soon. You're strong. You can get through this," He said, still stroking her hair. Her eyes were filling up with tears.

"I don't feel strong," She said, her voice breaking.

"You are, darling girl, you are. I tell you I would have been dead by now, if in your position," Jack said, smiling slightly. "You're terribly beautiful, Lizzie. I don't think I've ever seen your match," He said sweetly. She pursed her lips together and looked away from him.

"Stop trying to make me feel better, Jack," She said, suppressing a smile. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, which was radiating heat. She smiled, grabbing onto his hand which was braced on the side of the bed. When he pulled away, she asked him something.

"So... Will was at the docks, was he?"


	10. Let Me Go

"Yes, actually. It was quite a surprise," Jack said, shifting. He felt as if she was trying to distract herself from her current condition. If she really wanted to know about Will, she would have asked right away.

"Did he say what he was doing there?" Elizabeth asked.

"Wanting to steal the same ship we wound up stealing," Jack said, smiling somewhat proudly.

"Seemed like he's changed his ways a bit," Elizabeth said, looking off past Jack's shoulder. "So he helped you?" She asked.

"Actually, he took complete control of the situation. All I did was shoot a few things," Jack said.

"That was nice of him," Elizabeth said blankly.

"He didn't seem too keen on helping until I dropped your name," Jack said, causing her to look at him again. "He was even pointing a gun at me..."

"He pointed a gun at you?" She exclaimed loudly, and then coughed after.

"Don't get yourself riled up, love. I pointed a gun at him, too, so it was even. Even if I lowered it when I realized who he was," Jack said, sighing.

"Are you sure that... he'll keep on helping us?" Elizabeth asked, sounding slightly worried.

"Yes," Jack said, solidly. "He's doing it for you. And I can't complain, because I'm doing it for the same reasons," Jack said, brushing back her hair again. Elizabeth sighed, and closed her eyes, looking pained.

"What is it, love?" He asked, leaning down closer to her. She moaned slightly, shifting around in the bed.

"Nothing, I'm just having some pains in my chest..."

"Tightening?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I think so. There's nothing to do, so I guess I'll just ignore it," She said, shifting again uncomfortably. Jack looked down and felt like he had failed her already because he couldn't help. He wished that there was something he could do.

"Is there... is there anything I can get you?" He asked helplessly. She smiled despite the pain.

"Just your arms around me, if you can spare the time," She said, looking up at him.

"All my time is saved for that," Jack said, getting into bed with her. She laid her head on his chest and heaved a sigh.

"I just want to... take a little nap..." She said, drifting off already. He nodded, laying his head on top of hers. After a few hours of contemplation, he fell asleep himself. Hours later he woke up to her thrashing around violently, trying to escape his arms. He tried to hold onto her and calm her down.

"Lizzie, hey, Liz, it's me, it's Jack, lovely," He said into her ear. She turned and knocked her legs into the wall. He noticed that her eyes were still closed.

"No, no, no, no..." She kept muttering. He guessed these were the convulsions he had known were coming. He kept a tight hold on her to keep her from hurting herself. "Let me go... let me go..." She mumbled, almost knocking them both onto the ground.

"Never," He growled into her ear. He wouldn't let this take her away from him. Her arms and legs were moving sharply and unexpectedly, every which way. She was convulsing and delirious at the same time. She elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to lose his hold on her and she fell to the floor with a thump. She thrashed around a few more times as Jack regained his breath, and then fell unconscious. He jumped down onto the ground and kneeled next to her, turning her face towards his. He sighed, and picked her up in his arms again, and laid her back on the bed. He then left the cabin, and went out onto the deck to check on Mr. Gibbs.


	11. DAY FOUR

Day four began and Elizabeth woke up alone this time. She felt like she'd been hit by a train. Her head was throbbing, and she was barely able to lift her arm up and rub her forehead. She was taken over by a fit of coughs for a few moments, and when it was finally over she looked into her hand. It was covered with blood. She started breathing heavily, worried that Jack would walk in and see it. She scrambled around for a moment, and finally found a clean cloth on the table to wipe off the blood. She then fell back onto the bed, trying to level out her breathing.

Out on the deck, Jack was manning the wheel while Mr. Gibbs was getting some sleep. He had been there since he had left the cabin the night before. He looked behind him, and saw the Intrepid following close behind, Will still at the wheel. He turned back around and saw Gibbs come up from below deck, looking rested, and walked up and took the wheel from Jack.

"I'll take it from here, Captain. I made some broth below; maybe you should give some to Ms. Elizabeth?" He asked, turning around and looking at Jack. Jack smiled.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Gibbs, thank you. I'll do just that," Jack said, running below deck.

Elizabeth lay in the cabin, staring up at the ceiling, coughing every few seconds. She felt so weak, and wished she could do something to speed the Pearl up so they could get the antidote faster. She didn't even know what kind of affects it would have on her, or what kind of medication it was. She hoped it would be able to get her better, and that she wasn't too far gone already. She knew Barbossa was evil, but she hoped that he wasn't evil enough to make them go through this entire thing to get an antidote that couldn't even help her recover. Her arms and legs were tingling, and the sensation got worse when she tried to lift them. The cabin door opened, and Jack stepped in, holding a bowl and a wooden spoon. He smiled when he saw she was awake. He walked over and set the bowl and spoon on the table, and she could see the soup sloshing around. He walked over to her and slid an arm underneath her back, helping her sit up right. After she was secure, he kept a tender hand on her face and dropped a light kiss on her cheek. Then, he walked over and got the soup.

"How are you this morning, my love?" He asked as he sat down on the bed, picking up her legs and sitting them on top of his as he leaned up against the opposite wall. He scooted a bit closer to her, and then looked down, stirring the liquid around. All she did was smile. He blew on the broth a little, and then brought up a spoonful. He opened his mouth to demonstrate, and she copied him. He held his hand underneath the spoon so it wouldn't drip on her, and brought it to her mouth. She swallowed it heartily, looking like she enjoyed the feel of it going down her dry throat.

"Good? If not, blame it on Mr. Gibbs," Jack said, stirring it around some more and looking for her reaction.

"It's very good... tell him I said thank you," She said as Jack brought another taste to her lips. After a few moments, she had devoured the entire bowl. Jack got up for a second and went to sit it back on the table. When he heard a loud explosion, he looked to Elizabeth, confused.

"What was that?" He asked her.

"It sounded like a cannon," She said, looking worried. Jack turned and walked out of the cabin and onto the deck. When he got out there he saw not one ship following the Pearl, but two. Another pirate ship was coming up quickly behind the Intrepid and shooting at it.

"NO!" Jack yelled, running over to the other side of the Pearl, waving his arms in the air. The Intrepid was hit again, and it fired back one, hitting the bow of the Pirate ship. It was one Jack barely recognized, but he knew he had seen it somewhere before.

"Mr. Gibbs, get someone to shoot at them!" Jack yelled, and Gibbs yelled at the men below to fire at the other ship. It hit the Intrepid again, blasting another hole right through it. Jack grabbed onto his hair angrily as the Pearl fired, missing the out of reach pirate ship. The Intrepid slowed down and looked like it hit a reef, and it took another cannon.

"Will!" Jack screamed. "Jump ship, Will! You're going to go down, man!" He yelled. The Intrepid fired off another cannon, and the pirate ship began to move past, the Pearl hitting it once as it went by.

"Call it off, Gibbs!" Jack yelled. "I don't want them hitting us," He said, thinking of Elizabeth. He looked back over at the Intrepid. It was sinking.


	12. The Pearl

Elizabeth heard Jack screaming from inside the cabin. She heard yells of "Send a rowboat over!" and that the Intrepid was sinking. As soon as she heard that, she reached over and grabbed the handle of the soup bowl and pulled it over to her, and promptly threw up in it, and then sat it back down on the ground. She was gasping again, her breaths harsh. She was holding onto her throat, as if it would help somehow.

Jack saw the mast of the Intrepid disappear into the sea. He looked around for the pirate ship and saw it, way off ahead of them. He reached up and rubbed his face. His hand was shaking. The thing he was going to trade for Elizabeth's key to escaping death had just been swallowed up in the sea. William Turner, he'd guessed, had gone with it. Jack was at a complete loss. He had no idea what to do. He started to walk towards the cabin, and then stopped himself. He couldn't face her. He couldn't tell her that she was going to die, that he had nothing to trade for the antidote. He couldn't resign himself to losing the one thing that he lived for. He stopped, and looked at the raging waters where the Intrepid previously sat. Then, he looked at the deck of the Pearl, her mast, her railings. He nodded his head, sucking in a breath, and walked slowly to the cabin.

Elizabeth was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them. She looked up at him when he walked through the door. Her eyes were red and teary, no doubt from another round of coughing right before he came into the room. Her lips were chapped and dry, and she breathing strained breaths. He walked over and sat next to her, heaving a sigh and resting his arms on his knees. He was staring off into the distance.

"What is it?" She finally asked, pulling herself closer to him. He sighed and bowed his head. "Jack?" She asked, slight panic in her voice.

"The Intrepid... sunk. We're not sure what... happened to Will. I assume he... went down with the ship," Jack said, not yet looking up at her. Her breathing was beginning to speed up, and she was nodding her head, accepting her fate.

"All right... all right," She was whispering, beginning to gasp quicker and more with each passing second. She slammed her hand to her mouth, to stop herself from completely losing it. He could hear her gasping from behind her hand. Two tears dropped onto her face. She removed her hand after a moment, letting it slide down to her collar bone. "Okay... okay," She whispered. "Don't let me be alone when it happens, Jack," She said, looking over at him, clinging to his arm.

"Nothing is going to happen, Elizabeth," Jack said, staring down at the ground.

"What in the world do you mean?" Elizabeth asked him, confused.

"We're still going to get the antidote from Barbossa," Jack said.

"How? We... we don't have the ship for him, we have nothing to trade, he's... he's not going to just... hand it over," She asked, sucking in large gasps of air.

"The Pearl," Jack said.

"What?" She asked, her voice breaking.

"The Pearl, Liz. We're going to give him the Pearl," Jack said, finally turning and looking at her. She started shaking her head, another few tears dropping as her face contorted with emotion.

"No, Jack. No, we can't... we can't do that," She said, holding onto his arm desperately and laying her head on his shoulder.

"We have to, Elizabeth," Jack stated, as a cold hard fact. She turned her face into his sleeve and sobbed, closing her eyes tightly. He reached over absentmindedly and stroked her hair, turning and staring at the ground again.

"I'm... I'm so... sorry," Elizabeth whispered.

"Don't be. None of this is your fault," Jack said, turning towards her once more. "It's a ship, Liz. You... you... you're what I'm living for. If I don't have you, I don't have... I don't have..." He trailed off and draped his arms about her and enveloped her in his arms. She sobbed and clung to him, and a single tear fell from Captain Jack Sparrow's eye.


	13. DAY FIVE

The morning of day five had Jack still on deck from the night before, informing the crew of what had to be done. It put them all in a somber mood, wishing it wasn't necessary to trade the precious Pearl. Jack made sure they knew that it was something they had to do, despite the fact that none of them wanted to. After he had finished breaking the news to the crew, he walked along the side of the Pearl, running his hand along her railings. He sighed, and finally made his way back to Elizabeth. He heard her coughing way before he even reached the cabin door.

He stepped inside and his heart quickened its pace. She was sitting on the side of the bed, coughing into her hands, which were both covered in blood. He ran over and sat next to her, rubbing her back up and down, trying to soothe her.

"Calm down, darling," Jack said as her coughing did not cease. The coughs began to settle down and were replaced by large gasping breaths. Jack took a hold of her hands, which were shaking. He reached over to the table and grabbed a cloth off of it, wiping her hands down and removing the blood. It seemed to work its way into the creases, and he tried hard to get rid of all of it. Her whole slight frame was shaking violently, and he threw the cloth aside.

"Lay down, Liz..." He whispered, pulling her into his lap and cradling her head in his hands. Her eyes were rolling up in her head. "Look at me, darling," He said, brushing back her hair and caressing her cheeks. She closed her eyes and rolled her head around, gasping. "Lemme see your eyes, Lizzie," Jack said firmly, hoping she could hear him. His heart was racing. She looked off to the cabin door, her breathing slowing down. She then turned and looked up at him.

"Jack?" She asked. He smiled sadly.

"I'm here, love," He said.

"Don't leave me..." She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek. The quickly wiped it away.

"Of course not," He said, his voice full of concern. She started moaning, throwing her head back and forth. Jack reached over and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, bringing it to his lips. She then looked back up at him again.

"Jack?"

"Yes, love?" He said, leaning down closer to her face.

"I don't... want to die..." She whispered. Jack pressed his forehead to hers, shaking his head.

"Don't talk that way, Lizzie," He whispered. Her head fell to the side, and Jack pulled away, and he turned her face towards his. She was completely unconscious. He put his arm underneath her back and got up from the bed, and laid her back down, arranging her head on the pillow. Her breathing had leveled out, and a line of blood slid out of her mouth. He wiped it off with his thumb, and smeared it on his pants, walking out of the cabin.

A few hours later Jack walked back into the cabin, and Elizabeth was still unconscious. He walked over and sat down on the bed, and lifted her up into his arms slightly. Her head fell backwards and her mouth was open. Jack narrowed his eyes, and adjusted her so her head fell onto his shoulder.

"Elizabeth...?" Jack whispered. She didn't respond. He shook her slightly, but it only caused her head to fall to the side. He laid her down again carefully, and felt for her pulse in her neck. It was weak and thready. He sat and put his head in his hands for a moment.

He came out of the cabin and Gibbs called down to him from the wheel.

"How is she, Jack?" He asked as the Captain walked by.

"Comatose," He said, walking towards the bow of the ship to be alone.


	14. Come Back To Me

Jack stood at the bow of the ship until it got dark. He didn't know that she was going to fall into a coma. He had mixed feelings on the situation. On one hand, he was glad that she didn't have to be awake and in pain all the time, even though it was still ravaging her body as she slept. But, on the other hand, it scared him. It scared him to know that this meant she was at the end of her rope. They were almost there. They would be at the Island de Cruces within the next two days. It was almost the moment of her salvation and she was on the losing end of the battle. If she didn't make it... he didn't know what he was going to do. He looked down at the ocean and wondered what happened to Will. Will, who had tried to help them, and possibly died in the process. Jack sighed, exasperated. He turned around and began walking towards the middle of the deck.

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack called up to him, "How much longer?"

"I'd say a little over a day, Captain," Gibbs said.

"How is the crew doing?" Jack asked.

"A little tired, but still following orders. Are you sure Miss Elizabeth is... is..."

"Yes. She isn't responding to anything," Jack said, looking down.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Gibbs said, sympathetic. Jack shook his head.

"Don't tell me you're sorry, yet, Mr. Gibbs. We're going to get to that island and get that antidote, and then she'll be better. There's no need for apologies," Jack stated. Gibbs nodded. "I'm going to go... sit with her," Jack said, and then stomped off towards the cabin. He walked inside and she was still lying where he had left her this morning. He sighed and closed the door, and then slid down to the floor, his eyes never leaving her.

"Liz..." He called, his voice gruff. "Can you hear me, love?" He asked. She didn't respond. He ran a hand over his face, wondering why his hands were so cold. Probably because they weren't holding hers.

"You've got to wake up, love... I miss the intelligent conversation," Jack said, looking over at her. He pulled himself off the ground and walked over to the bed. It was nice to see her looking so peaceful; not coughing up blood, crying or throwing up. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard a voice tell him that he was never going to look into her eyes again. He couldn't let that be how it all turned out. He had to save her. They were almost there. They had come too far for him to lose her now.

"You told me not to leave you, love, the same applies to you. You're not allowed to leave me, either, Lizzie," He said, running his hand over her smooth skin. He closed his eyes and took her hands in his, praying for a miracle.

He opened his eyes and studied her face. It was pure milky white, having lost all its color in her time of sickness. There were dark, black rings underneath her eyes, the lids red and the veins standing out prominently. The lips he had so loved to caress with his own were chapped and fading into the rest of her face, indistinguishable except for the line parting them. A bit of blood was smeared on her chin, and he gently reached forward and tried to wipe it off, leaving a slight red mark. He leaned down, his hands on either side of her face, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, and then another on her forehead and one more on the tip of her nose. A tear fell from his eye onto her face and slid off, looking it was coming from her own eye. He rubbed his cheek against hers, sighing.

"I love you, Lizzie," He whispered into her ear. "Come back to me. You can't leave me now, love, you're going to make it through this. I might not, though, Lizzie, if you keep playing this 'Let's not look at Jack' game. It's not very amusing," He said, caressing her cheek and he pulled up to look at her. He wanted her to wake up and make one of her witty retorts, but she didn't. She just lay there, the only sign of her being alive was her chest moving up and down. Murderous thoughts of Barbossa raged in Jack's mind as he remained by Lizzie's side till morning.


	15. DAY SIX

On day six, Jack woke up to the delightful smell of Elizabeth's hair. After hours of staring at her, waiting for any movement, he had finally fallen forward onto the pillow and went to sleep. The sun flooding into the room brought him out of his slumber. He pulled himself up with a groan, and looked down at the lady beside him. She hadn't moved an inch. He smiled sadly, and sighed.

"Good morning, darling," He said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "One more of these and this terrible ordeal will be all over..." Jack said, looking around him at the ship he was going to have to give up. It made him realize just how far he would go for her. He ran his hand over her cheek, looking back down at her.

"You going to look at dear ole Jack today, Liz?" He said, looking down at his sleeping beauty. "Obviously not," He said with a sigh, kissing her again and then getting up and leaving the cabin, grabbing onto his belt and hat as he left.

"Mr. Gibbs?" Jack called, walking up the stairs and to where he was standing at the wheel.

"We've gained a bit of speed, Captain. I think we might arrive there at midnight tonight," Gibbs said. A smile brightened up Jack's face, and he went over and gave Gibbs a quick hug, slapping his back happily.

"Good, good, Mr. Gibbs. If you keep doing this well, I'll have to get you a ship of your own!" Jack said, and Gibbs laughed. The happiness left Jack's face as soon as an image of Elizabeth popped into his mind. He sighed and walked towards the bow again. He got down the stairs and looked up, and noticed a man pulling himself onto the ship, falling onto the ground. Jack quickly pulled out his gun and pointed it at him, walking towards him quickly.

"Show yourself!" Jack yelled at the man, whose boots and the bottom of his pants were soaking wet and dripping onto the deck. He raised up his hands, but his hair was in his face, making it impossible to see who he was.

"This isn't exactly... showing yourself, son," Jack said. The man whipped his hair behind him. It was Will Turner. Jack lowered his gun, and quickly put it back in it's holster, closing the distance between him and Will.

"Will! How did you...?" Jack asked, putting his hands on Will's shoulders.

"Our dear friend Cotton motioned for me to get into the rowboat and get away as he took a hold of the wheel. He was a good man," Will said, and Jack nodded his head. "I've been following the Pearl as quickly as I could for the past few days, and sometime last night I grabbed onto a rope and I've been dragged along since then. My rowboat got destroyed under the Pearl. I was having a bit of trouble pulling myself up," He said.

"Why didn't you yell out for some help?" Jack asked.

"I was afraid with Elizabeth's condition, you'd shoot first and ask questions later for want of protecting her," Will said. Jack nodded his head. It was almost what he did in their current situation. Jack's arms dropped from Will's shoulders.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright, boy," Jack said, smiling slightly.

"How... how's Elizabeth?" Will asked, seemingly afraid of the answer. Jack sighed, shaking his head.

"She's in a coma... she's gone through a lot. I just... we're supposed to arrive at the Island at midnight tonight, I hope that's the case. She's... she's not going to last much longer," Jack said, his lips forming into a straight line.

"You're going to save her, Jack," Will said firmly, nodding his head. Jack nodded back, not so sure.


	16. False Reality

Later on that day, Jack was pacing around the deck, trying to find something to do to distract him from Elizabeth's deteriorating state. He took over the wheel for a while, cleaned up below deck, and interrogated the crew about various aspects of their lives that he had never bothered to find out about before. Then, he couldn't find anything else to occupy his thoughts other than his ladylove, so he returned to her as soon as she re entered his mind.

He walked through the door and was surprised to find her in a different position. It was hot in here, sweltering. It felt as if no air was even circulating. She was lying on her side; her knees pulled up to her chest, and taking short, gasping breaths. He stared at her for a moment, and then she stopped. She stopped breathing all together.

He rushed over to her and pressed his fingers to her neck, frantically trying to find her pulse. When he found it, he noticed that it was fading fast, the heartbeats farther and farther away from each other. He slipped an arm underneath her back and another underneath her knees and pulled her into his arms. Her head fell lifelessly onto his shoulder as he kicked open the cabin door and barged onto the deck.

Crew members that were doing their daily duties gaped at him as he swept past, making his way to the bow of the ship. He got where he was heading and lay her down carefully on the warm deck. The crew gathered around and Will pushed through as Jack gathered Elizabeth's upper body into his arms.

"What is it?" Will asked worriedly.

"She's not breathing," Jack said. "I think she was constricting herself... not getting enough air..." He finished, reaching around to feel her pulse again. Will pulled him off of Elizabeth, and Jack turned around and looked at him angrily.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, distressed.

"Keep her lying flat... so the air can flow easily through her," Will explained. Jack was so flustered that he had no idea what to do. He turned his attention back on Elizabeth, trying to ignore the fact that she was essentially dying right in front of him. He kept his hands on her cheeks, smoothing the lines of pain on her forehead away. She coughed a bit as the air tried to reenter her body, and then sucked in a large breath, regaining her breathing patterns. Jack sighed a sigh full of relief, and then a slight voice calling out his name.

"Jack?" Elizabeth whispered. Jack looked down and saw her eyes open and looking at him confusedly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She kept whispering his name.

"Jack...?" Will asked, looking down at him.

"Shut it, Will, I'm trying to hear what she's saying," Jack said.

"Jack... she's... she's not... saying anything. She fell back unconscious when she regained her breath," Will said, narrowing his eyes. Jack looked down at Elizabeth. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily. He hadn't heard her calling to him in reality, but in that place in his mind where she was getting better. He just wanted to see her eyes again. He shook the false reality out of his head and lifted her into his arms; walking back to the cabin with her and leaving the door open so air could better circulate through.

He needed her back. Now. He was relieved to think they were almost done.


	17. DAY SEVEN

Jack didn't sleep all night, and when day seven begun he was ready. He was sitting on the side of the bed with Elizabeth's hand in his, staring through the open door out to the deck, and waiting for Gibbs to appear and tell him that they had arrived. He was worried about how they were going to get off the island once he handed the Pearl over to Barbossa. He was hoping Elizabeth would be on her way to recovery by then. Light was flooding into the room.

He didn't know what he'd do when he saw Barbossa. He wasn't worried about him taking the deal; he knew Barbossa would gladly take the Pearl off his hands. Jack was gripping Elizabeth's hand tightly. He'd want to kill the man the second he saw him for making her suffer so. He wondered how the exchange would go. He knew Barbossa would want to be on the Pearl before he gave them anything. He sighed, and turned a bit so he could look down at Elizabeth. He brought her hand up and pressed it to his heart.

"We're almost there, my love. Then I'll get to see those beautiful eyes again," He drawled, stroking her fingers. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, kissing her lightly.

"I love you, My Lizzie," Jack said against her mouth. "Please don't ever leave me, darling..." He whispered, picking up her other hand and pulling it up to fill the space between him and her. He brought both of her hands to his lips and kissed them, looking down at her. Mr. Gibbs appeared in the doorway, blurting out the sun behind him.

"Jack," Gibbs said, and Jack turned around. "The Isle de Cruces has come into view," He said, sounding somewhat out of breath. Jack drew in a breath, and nodded to Mr. Gibbs, and turned back to Elizabeth.

"The antidote is in sight, love. We're almost there," He whispered again, looking worried at her prolonged lack of response. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and then made his way out onto the deck. He ran up the stairs and went to stand alongside Gibbs, who was staring off at the island.

"We're only moments away," Gibbs whispered.

"Thank god for that," Jack said back. The island was recognizable from when they had come here before. The long shoreline leading up to the beach, the top of the church that he, Will and Norrington had fought at. There was a small boat pulled up on the beach, and Jack figured it must be Barbossa's. His face hardened in anger at the thought of him.

"Where's Will, Mr. Gibbs?" Jack asked, suddenly looking around.

"Uh... I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in a while," Gibbs said, looking around confusedly. Jack shook his head.

"Forget about him... we need to focus on what's at hand," Jack said, motioning back towards the island. It was getting closer and closer by the second, and Jack's breathing was getting heavier and quicker the closer it got. He looked back at the open cabin door, at Elizabeth's quiet face lying on her pillow. He needed her to make it. They were so close he could taste it, and he had this horrible feeling that she was going to leave him before they got there. He shook his head, clearing his throat. He couldn't think that way. He was going to save her. He had to save her.

They got close enough to see Barbossa walk out onto the beach, his feet sinking into the wet sand.


	18. The Antidote

The ship finally came to a slow halt and floated in the water a little ways away from the beach. Barbossa was approaching them slowly; a strange and confused look on his face. The crew had gathered on the deck in response to Jack's calls.

"Alright men, I want you all to get off this ship in an orderly fashion..." Jack yelled, and then turned around and looked down at Barbossa. He was drawing a gun, and narrowing his eyes at Jack. Jack turned back to the crew.

"Leave... behind your weapons," He said, bowing his head. "We don't want to risk anything," Jack said painfully. The crew quickly got off the ship and Jack followed them. He jumped down onto the sand with a slight splash, and then walked over towards Barbossa.

"What exactly are you doing, Jack?" Barbossa said, lifting his eyebrows.

"We got your ship... but some bloody fool decided to sink it somewhere along the way-"

"So what are you going to do, then?" Barbossa asked with a smile.

"Let. Me. Finish," Jack said, glaring at him. Barbossa waved for him to go on. "You're going to take the Pearl," Jack said, trying to not let any emotion show through in his voice. Barbossa's smile widened and he started nodding at Jack. Jack could barely contain his anger.

"Well, this deal is turning out better than I expected," Barbossa said happily. Jack was glaring daggers at him.

"Stop your blubbering, Barbossa, and hand over that antidote," Jack said seriously.

"Go get your girl and bring her down here, and then I will," Barbossa said, crossing his arms in front of him. Jack nodded his head and rushed back over to the ship and climbed back up the rope easily that was attached. He ran across the deck and over to the cabin and walked through the doorway, never losing his speed. He walked over to his love, whose breathing seemed strained and labored, and picked her up into his arms.

"We're almost there, Lizzie. Just a few more moments..." He whispered. He carefully put her over his shoulder as he walked over and slid down the rope. He readjusted her in his arms as he walked back over to Barbossa. He was ready to get this over with.

"Now..." Barbossa said, bringing his hand to his chin, "How are we going to do this?" He asked, looking as if he was thinking. Jack glanced down at Elizabeth. She didn't have that much more time.

"Just give me the antidote, Barbossa. We don't have any weapons, we're not going to stop you from taking the Pearl," Jack said, listening to her pained breathing. Barbossa smiled.

"I never knew you could get so worked up over a girl, Jack," Barbossa said, laughing. Jack sighed. Neither did he. But he was, and there was nothing that could pull him back from that now. He was sweating with anticipation and so many other emotions. He needed to save her.

"Just give it to me, Barbossa," Jack pleaded, looking into the other man's eyes. He nodded his head.

"Lay her down on the ground," Barbossa said. Jack kneeled down and laid her legs on the ground, holding onto her upper body so she was supported by his knee. Her head fell over towards him, her forehead resting on his chest. Barbossa kneeled as well, and reached inside his coat and pulled out a vile of liquid, and a knife.

"Has the wound on her hand healed?" He asked. Jack picked up her hand and turned it over. The wound was beginning to seal itself up, the skin around it red and angry. Barbossa stuck the knife in the old wound, reopening it and spilling Elizabeth's blood. Jack flinched. Barbossa shoved the vile into Jack's free hand.

"You do the rest. Put some of the antidote into the wound, and then have her drink some. Keep doing that everyday until it's all gone. I'm off. Thank you for this lovely ship. I hope you have a wonderful time with your girl," Barbossa said, getting up and walking towards the Pearl, waving his gun at each of them in turn as he went. Jack gathered Elizabeth closer to him and opened the vile with shaking hands. In the background, Barbossa pulled himself up the rope and stepped onto the deck.

A gunshot was heard on the Pearl. Everyone turned around quickly, and saw Barbossa fall to the deck and Will standing in front of him, slowing lowering his smoking gun.

Jack looked up for only a second, enough to enjoy the fact that the Pearl was going to remain in his possession. He quickly poured some of the liquid from the vile into Elizabeth's hand, and it bubbled and turned into a fuzzy stream along the wound. Then he tilted her head back slightly, and poured a bit of it into her mouth. He rubbed her throat gently, coaxing her to swallow it easily.

"That's it, darling. Drink it down..." He whispered into her ear. She swallowed with a bit of difficulty. He capped the vile and slipped it into his pocket, and then held her around her waist, rocking her back and forth and whispering into her ear. After a moment, he felt her breathing slow down to a full stop. He reached up and felt for her pulse. Her heart beat once, twice, and then stopped. He felt around desperately, but felt no comforting thump underneath his fingers. He started gasping for breath.

"No, no, no! Liz, you can't do this!" He screamed, beginning to cry. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her into his shoulder, rocking her back and forth as he sobbed.


	19. We Made It

_Someone mentioned something about Barbossa's crew. He came to the island on a small boat, one that didn't need a crew. He was going to get a ship from Jack and then sail off, because of course he thinks himself good enough to captain a ship alone for the time being, and pick up those pirates who are still loyal to him and have them become his crew. That is why he doesn't have a crew on the island de cruces._

The crew stood silently, watching their Captain cry his heart out over the body of his lost love. They had never seen him like this. They had never seen him this torn apart. He was holding her, clutching at her desperately, calling for her to return to him, not to leave him here in a world without her. It felt like time had stopped for all of them.

"Lizzie..." Jack whispered through his tears. "Lizzie... please..." He whispered, clawing at her back, trying to bring some life out of her. He couldn't believe she was gone. He couldn't believe they had gotten this far and she hadn't made it. He had to save her. He had to of saved her.

"I needed to save you..." He whispered, burying his head in her shoulder. At that, the antidote finished surging its way through her veins, cleaning out as much of the poison as it could in those few moments, and her eyes snapped open as her heart started back up from the antidote finally taking affect. She gasped loudly and Jack quickly pulled away from her, his eyes wide. She was breathing quickly and shaking violently, reaching out to touch him. He was caressing her face with his hands, trying to figure out if this was actually happening.

"Elizabeth?" He asked, his eyes searching her face.

"Jack," She responded, her voice shaking. "Where... where are we?" She asked, turning her head slightly and seeing some of the crew standing around.

"The Island de Cruces," Jack said, his eyes still bulging.

"We made it?" She asked, looking back to him.

"We made it," He repeated, obviously still shocked.

"Did you... give me the antidote?" She asked. He nodded his head. She turned again, looking and seeing their ship. "Why... why is the Pearl still here?" She asked, trying to control her tremors.

"Will... Will shot Barbossa. I think he's dead," Jack said flatly, not taking his eyes off of her. Her eyes brightened, and he couldn't help but smile. A tear fell down onto his cheek, and one of her shaking hands came up and wiped it away. He cleared his throat.

"How... are you feeling?" He asked gruffly. She averted her eyes and looked around, searching her mind for an answer.

"Uh... I'm not sure. I... I don't know," She said, shaking her head.

"I... I still have... more of the antidote. You should keep taking it everyday until... it's gone," He said. She nodded, and then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feel of him. Her Jack. Her precious, precious Jack. He kept his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly, breathing in her scent and thanking god that she was back with him.

"God, Lizzie, did you scare me..." Jack whispered.

"I scared... myself..." She said, sighing into him. He pulled away and looked down at her, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

"My darling, darling Lizzie..." Jack said, and leaned down and kissed her deeply, something he had very much missed doing. Once the kiss was broken, he lifted her up into his arms, and she wrapped her own arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder, happy to be enveloped in his embrace once again. Will slid down the rope from the Pearl and came running over to them.

"I killed him, Jack," Will said as he approached. "I knew you were going to let him take the Pearl and I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let him take your ship," Will said. Jack nodded in gratitude, and Will's eyes traveled down to Elizabeth. "How is she?" He asked.

"Alive. The antidote seems to be doing its work," Jack said. Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at Will. She smiled sweetly when she saw him. She reached out for him, and he took her uninjured hand in his.

"Will..." She whispered. "Thank you," She said, many emotions coming through in those two simple words. He nodded, and brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "It means so much..." She trailed off. He nodded again.

"It's my pleasure," He said, squeezing her hand and then letting go. "I'll go and throw down a ladder, Jack," He said, running back to the Pearl. Jack watched him go, and then turned to his crew.

"Alright, men. Our journey has concluded itself, and we have a bit of a mess up there on our deck. So... go... clean it up," Jack said, raising his eyebrows. They nodded, and followed in Will's footsteps. Jack looked down at Elizabeth and his face softened from his Captain mode.

"It's so nice to see your eyes again, love," He said. She smiled.

"The same goes to you," She said back, snuggling into his shoulder as they walked towards the Pearl.

_As a short explanation, _ _Elizabeth__ died right as she swallowed the antidote from the effects of the poison finally digging so deep into her that it claimed her life. The antidote surged through her veins in the few moments she was dead, and it began to wipe out some of the poison, which was enough to re-stimulate her heart and save her. It reversed the effects of the poison by removing it in time and beginning to immediately heal her._


	20. One Month Later

ONE MONTH LATER

Jack had his arm protectively wrapped around Elizabeth's waist as he helped her walk the deck of the Pearl, something that had turned into a daily ritual about a week and a half ago when she was finally able to support herself again. She had been taking the antidote every day since she got it, and she had run out after about a week. It worried her at first, but after some reassuring from Jack she realized that the antidote was already taking its affect on her, and she probably had enough for it to fully regenerate her body after a certain amount of time. He was still by her side every waking moment, just to make sure.

He looked down at her, and smiled to himself. "You seem to be doing better today, love," He said, taking a few more steps. She looked down at her feet, and sighed.

"It's still taking too long. I want things to be back to normal now," She said. He pouted.

"Come on now, Lizzie. You know you love having me by your side every moment of every day," He said, kissing the top of her head. She giggled.

"Of course. But, I'd like to support you as well as you supporting me," She said, stopping and sighing, looking up at him. She smiled sadly, and he returned the gesture. He then wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her to him.

"I'm so glad to have you back, love. Those last few days... I felt like I was going to die before you were," He said with a sigh.

"That wouldn't have been a very good thing to wake up to," She said into his chest. He laughed slightly.

"Come on, lovely," He said, pulling away from her, "Come steer the ship with your Captain." She smiled and took his hand as he led her up the stairs. Three months later, Elizabeth was almost back in perfect shape. Other than a few problems here and there, she was back to normal.

On the fifteenth day of the sixth month, the Black Pearl pulled into Port Royal. From the few that were there that day, it was said that one Captain Jack Sparrow and someone who looked very much like Elizabeth Swann, the lost daughter of the governor, rushed off the Pirate ship, arguing violently with each other. The woman was dragging the man by his wrist, and he was screaming that he wanted to do it his way. The easy way. By-passers and stander by-ers were so shocked by the sight that none thought of turning the couple into the authorities. A few hours later they returned, in a much different mood than they came. They were embracing each other, kissing; Elizabeth asking the Pirate if that was so bad. She was rumored to have said that she was "happier now that it was official." Higher ups in the community passed the story off as "silly gossip from the streets."

A week after that, Jack and Elizabeth were laying together in the cabin. She gave him one more lasting kiss before she rolled off of him, snuggling into his bare chest. He sighed.

"You're such a little minx, Mrs. Sparrow," Jack said, smiling at the term.

"You do love calling me that, don't you?" She said, planting a kiss on his chest.

"It suits you quite well," He said, nodding his head confidently. She smiled to herself, loving him more than she ever had in that moment. He was her everything, he accepted her for who she was, he was the one person in the world that would do anything for her. He saved her in every possible way she could be saved.

"Jack?" She asked, looking up at him. His face softened as he looked into her eyes.

"Yes, Liz?" He asked sweetly, playing with her hair.

"I love you," She said. He nodded his head, a grin creeping onto his face.

"I love you, too, darling," He said, pressing his lips to hers. They sailed off into the horizon, standing by and protecting each other for the rest of their lives.

FIN.

_Thank you all so much for reading this, it was just a pleasure to write and I hope I didn't disappoint in the end. Your reviews were all so sweet and kept me going. Thank you all for giving me advice and helping me along in certain places. I always tried to keep your opinions in mind when I was writing. Thanks, also, for being so respectful when you're reviewing. I very much appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed my story 'One Week'. Hopefully I'll start something new and just as original soon. Once again, thank you._

_- Allie._


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